Of Mercy
by Aranel-o-Aduial
Summary: The sequel to Of Magic. Arthur is repealing the ban on magic, but the threat of Morgana still lingers. Will Morgana realize her mistakes, or will war continue in Camelot?


**Author's note: This is the sequel to ****_Of Magic_****. If you haven't read that, then you probably shouldn't read this.**

**Anyway, last time I updated every day, and I can't say that that'll happen with this one. I'll try for every week.**

**This should be about five chapters, and the chapters'll be much longer.**

**I hope this lives up to your expectations!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****_Merlin._**

Paperwork: one of the downsides of being a king. To say Arthur wasn't busy would be a mistake, one that Merlin was making.

"Oh, sure, give me chores, because you're too busy to hire a new servant! And order me not to use magic on them as well! I swear-"

"Merlin," said Arthur, looking up from the endless pile of work to glare at his manservant. "You're not Court Sorcerer-"

"Warlock."

"-yet," Arthur continued, ignoring him. They had already had this fight several times before. "and magic is still banned, which is why I'm so busy in the first place," Arthur finished, but Merlin still looked peeved.

So delegate," Merlin suggested, and Arthur sighed.

"The scribes are just as busy, Merlin, and this is a very complicated process, one I won't ever hope for you to understand, and one which should be handled very carefully. I'm only trusting myself wih this."

Merlin opened his mouth, but closed it when he seemed to get the point. Then he opened it again, and Arthur groaned in annoyance.

Merlin ignored him as he continued, "Well, I still don't see why you can't go get a new servant. You know they won't believe me."

It was true- Merlin had once gotten George to serve Arthur as a way to skive off his duties while he practiced his magic, and because Arthur was in a mood. Arthur had snapped at George, and, though the servant was too dull to cry, George had never believed Merlin again.

Unfortunately, all the other servants in the castle had heard about this, and now Merlin was suffering for it.

"It's your own fault," said Arthur, "If you hadn't shirked your duties to practice magic-"

"Oh, and you haven't!"

Arthur shut his mouth and glared at Merlin.

"Don't think I won't curse you," he said in a low voice.

Arthur had discovered something that brought the two closer together- magic. It had started with a few unexplainable occurences, and then escalated to a plea for help, one which Merlin had answered. Guided by Emrys, Arthur learned to control his powers, and in time for a war, as Morgana hoped to win Camelot. A cause which Arthur hoped she had abandoned.

All Morgana wanted was freedom, right? Just like Merlin, and now Arthur. Arthur hoped that he could bring his sister around and right the wrongs that both of them had done- escort Camelot into a new age, without the threat of war on the horizon.

Arthur knew that repealing his father's laws would be hard work, but it would be worth it if people like him,long persecuted, could be free. And, maybe he could get his sister back, too.

Arthur was brought back to the present when Merlin spoke.

Merlin grinned, and said, "Like you could. I'm Emrys, remember?"

Arthur glared still, frowning. "And I'm your king," he said.

Merlin's grin grew wider, "Yes, your pratness."

Okay, that was enough.

Arthur's eyes flashed as he muttered an incantation under his breath, and then Merlin's hair was seaweed green. Merlin remained oblivious, and crossed his arms as Arthur struggled to contain a grin.

"What'd you do now?" he asked as Arthur's lips twitched. "I saw your eyes flash gold."

Arthur gave up and laughed at the how the indignant expression on Merlin's face looked with his new hair color. Merlin seemed to realize that it was something to do with his expression, and he rushed to Arthur's mirror, spluttering as he saw what Arthur had done to him.

"You prat!" he exclaimed as his eyes flashed and his hair reverted to it's original color. He whirled on Arthur. "I didn't teach you that spell to have it used against me!"

"Well, you shouldn't have taught it to me in the first place, then!"

The two continued to bicker, not knowing that there was somebody watching them.

Morgana watched with shock as the two fought. She had been scrying on Arthur in hope to see battle plans, or anything that would help her in her cause.

What she didn't expect was to see Arthur using_ magic._

It didn't make sense to her, but, when she thought about it, it did. Morgause had told her about Arthur's birth, and it would explain-

_Morgause._

Did Merlin, the warlock at the king's side, not kill her sister? And had Arthur not done so much to wrong her already? Morgana doubted that Arthur would have repealed the ban on magic if he did not have it himself.

But would he? Would he have repealed the ban without his own magic? Merlin had magic, and it would have eventually gotten out to the king, even without him developing ablilities of his own. But would he have repealed the ban because of it?

Morgana wasn't stupid- she had heard of the prophecies about the Once-and-Future-King and Emrys, and of them leading Albion into a new age of magic, but what was this? Did Fate decide that Arthur needed to have magic in order to understand? Did even the gods realize that Arthur was beyond help?

But Arthur was her kin now, in more than just blood. Did she really want to continue a pointless war?

Morgana sighed as the image in the scrying bowl faded. She decided that she would have to have a long think about this.


End file.
